Landslide for Hanson

Published 7:00 pm, Tuesday, November 4, 2008

HURONCOUNTY— Republican Kelly J. Hanson carried the momentum gained from August’s highly contested Republican sheriff primary into Tuesday’s general election and came out with a large victory.

“I’m extremely overwhelmed,” he said. “There’s a lot of people out there that I don’t know, that went out and voted for me — putting their trust in me to be their next sheriff.”

The Port Austin resident won more than 60 percent of the votes cast Tuesday. He defeated Democratic contender Gene Bucholtz, 10,636 to 6,294, according to unofficial election results from Huron County Clerk Peggy Koehler.

“I have an awful lot of people to thank,” Hanson said, going on to mention his parents, friends, Huron County Sheriff’s Office employees and Bucholtz for running such a “good, clean campaign.”

Hanson also mentioned those who, without even meeting him, gave him their support.

“I had a little more than 1,300 signs put out and I lost track of where we were putting the signs because people (I didn’t know) were stopping in and picking them up,” he said. “And I have no way of personally thanking them, but I want to thank them (now).”

“I look forward to being sheriff for the next four years, and I’m especially looking forward to being the county’s 31st sheriff,” Hanson added.

Hanson nabbed 46 percent of the votes cast in the Aug. 5 Republican Huron County Sheriff Primary. He had a total of 3,811 votes, overcoming both the 3,142 cast for current Huron County Sheriff Kent D. Tibbits and the 1,299 cast for Bad Axe resident David James DeCourval.

On Wednesday morning, Bucholtz, a Harbor Beach resident, said he wanted to thank everyone who voted for him.

“I just want to tell the people right now that I appreciate their support,” said Bucholtz, a Harbor Beach resident. “We had a good time.”

Bucholtz was referring to the campaign that had both candidates busily working around the county — attending many meet-and-greets and writing many checks.

According to amended pre-general election campaign finance statements Hanson filed Tuesday, the Republican’s campaign carried some debt from the August primary into the general election. The amended pre-general election campaign statements state Hanson’s campaign had a beginning balance of negative $23,815.61. That number combined with the $1,925 received in contributions and $4,527.31 accrued in expenses during the period of Aug. 25 through Oct. 19, left his campaign with an ending balance of negative $26,417.92.

Pre-general election finance statements Bucholtz’s campaign filed Oct. 19 show the Democratic sheriff contender had an ending balance of $2,121.79 as of Oct. 19. The campaign statements state his campaign received a total of $6,825 in contributions and other receipts (in addition to $93.28 in in-kind donations) from Aug. 26 through Oct. 19. His expenses during that time period totaled $4,703.21.

His campaign had a beginning balance of $595.20 left over from the primary (and that is why his ending balance was that much higher than his contributions minus expenses during that Aug. 26 through Oct. 19 period).

The amounts listed in the pre-general election statements candidates filed in late October mean that is how much each candidate earned and spent as of Oct. 19. The total expenditures and contributions of each campaign more than likely will increase after the candidates submit their post-election campaign finance documents.

Huron County Clerk Peggy Koehler said those post-election campaign finance statements are due by Dec. 4.